Mrs.
Peerenboom's
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Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
It
is my pleasure to welcome you to second grade. It’s going to
be a wonderful year filled with new experiences! Our theme for this
year is Challenges, Conflicts, and Changes. We will be
weaving this theme throughout three units of study: Early Americans (Native Americans
and American Pioneers in the 1800s), South America, and Early Earth. Each unit will last
about three months.
Our
first integrated unit is focused on Early Americans. Students will be
studying about the Native Americans and American Pioneers who
helped develop our country. We will be learning the thinking skill
of finding patterns. This skill will help students discover
patterns in both reading and mathematics. It will also be applied
as we explore the patterns in Native American art work and pioneer
quilts. Please help your child develop awareness of the patterns in
their lives (i.e., fabrics, nature, and daily routines).
We
will also be learning how the Early Americans used simple machines
to overcome challenges and to fulfill their basic needs. Students
will participate in hands-on activities in order to explore how
simple machines make our work easier today. The six basic simple
machines are levers, pulleys, wedges, wheels and axles, and incline
planes. Be sure to point out examples of simple machines to your
child as you see them in use.
In
the area of literacy, we will be reading a variety of Native
American legends and pioneer stories. Students will be learning
about story elements, such as characters, setting, problem, and
solution. You can help your child develop a deeper understanding of
the different parts of the story by asking the following
questions:
-
Who are the characters in the story?
-
Where does this story take place?
-
What events took place in the story?
-
What was the problem in the story?
-
How was the problem solved?
Students will also be introduced to journal writing as they
explore the westward movement.
The
students will make connections by practicing the skills of
community contributors and self-directed learners as they identify
similar characteristics in the Early Americans. If you have
resources or artifacts that might enrich our unit, we would
appreciate having you share them with us! Thank you in advance for
your support.
In
two shakes of a lamb’s tail (“in little or no time at
all”) your child will be experiencing a time of exciting
academic, social, and personal growth. One way to provide strong
lines of communication between home and school is through email.
You may reach me during school hours by using the following email
address cpeerenb@tahomasd.us .
I
feel honored to be able to fulfill the important role of your
child’s second grade teacher for the 2009
- 2010 school year.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Peerenboom
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